North Korea Slams Pompeo over Sanctions

North Korea on Monday warned it could cut off dialogue with the United States and slammed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for urging the international community to maintain sanctions on its regime.

Pompeo last week told nations to “stay committed to applying diplomatic and economic pressure” over the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes while calling on the nuclear-armed state to return to talks.

In a statement released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, an unnamed official in charge of negotiations with the US called Pompeo’s remarks “ludicrous”.

“Listening to Pompeo’s ludicrous language made us give up on any hopes for dialogue,” the official said, adding: “We will walk our way.” The American diplomat had “unleashed insult at a country with which his president was willing to forge a good relationship”, the official continued, referring to Donald Trump’s letter sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressing an intent to cooperate in anti-epidemic efforts. “It is puzzling who the real commander in chief is in the US,” the official said.

The denuclearization dialogue between the US and North Korea remains stuck since 2019 February when U.S. President Donald Trump walked out of a summit in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea is facing severe sanctions from UN and the U.S. over its nuclear program since mid-2000 after Pyongyang tested its independent nuclear arsenal.